Tepid
by Cattypatra
Summary: Roxas hadn't counted on everything going wrong. It was meant to be routine. Until he felt the draw of Hollow Bastion, the press of its heat, the smell of betrayel and the feel of Axel's machinations and sticky fingers against his own.


**Tepid  
tep-id  
- adjective  
1. **Moderately warm.  
**2. **Characterised by a lack of force or enthusiasm.

_The day was too warm, stagnant, stale. Roxas felt suffocated._

_His suit shirt collar stuck to his skin with sweat. Roxas fidgeted, adjusting the stranglehold his tie had on his neck, taking deep breaths, trying to fill his lungs as deeply as they could. The sun meandering lazily across horizon scorched down at him, stifling._

_The rotting air stung his mouth and tongue, but not as much as the fiery fingers entangled in his own, and the burning pair of upturned green eyes trained on his form. Roxas shuddered, his breath coming out sour and sticky. His companion laughed, tightening his hold on Roxas's hand, before forcing him forward, forward and away._

_Roxas stumbled, the _almoststrangerbutnotquite_ dragging him along. He didn't have the strength to kick or scream. _

_The air choked in his lungs, fear catching on the inhale, as he was lead farther and farther from everything he had known, and out into a daunting future full of ash, lust and the tepid heat of Hollow Bastion. _

_----------_

Roxas swore as he glared at the engine of his rental car. "Fucking piece of shit!" he cursed under his breath.

So here he was , stranded with a broken down shit of a car, miles away from Hollow Bastion where he needed to go and twice as far from Twilight Town, where he had come. Stuck on the side of a wonky black tar mac road, with a cell phone that wasn't working, a sore foot, a deadline to meet and the god awful heat of the sun bearing down on him.

_Fan-FUCKING-tastic _Roxas thought to himself.

He sighed, bracing himself against the bonnet of the car. "No wonder this piece of shit isn't going anywhere, it's too bloody hot."

Roxas pushed himself off and walked to the side of the road and sat down. He flicked out his phone. Still no reception. He groaned and shoved it back into his pocket. Roxas hung his head in his hands, sun still bearing down over his slight shoulders and making his shirt slick itself against his skin.

God knew when the next car would go by, the free way from Twilight Town to Hollow Bastion wasn't often used. It almost seemed as if every car that came from Hollow Bastion never came back. Twilight Town was your typical country bumpkin town, a place where everyone phased through on their way somewhere else, full of cute girls in muddy jeans and too many patched flannelette shirts. Hollow Bastion, on the other hand, was a sprawling neon coloured city, and that was where everyone went. Once you were old enough, most went to Hollow Bastion, away from Twilight Town's stifling sense of security and few job promises to the largest city in the country, and sub sequentially, the one with the highest crime rate.

Roxas squinted. That couldn't be a car... He shook his head, must be the sweltering heat tricking him and turning the landscape into mirages. Roxas wondered if he was going insane because the black thing on the horizon was certainly getting closer...

Roxas narrowed his eyes further. Oh shit. It was a car.

Roxas bolted to his feet. "OI! STOP!"

He ran out to the middle of the road and waved wildly. "HEY! STOP!"

And yet the car kept coming. Blaring headlights and the crass noise of the horn cutting through the oppressive degrees. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

"Holy shit!" Roxas screeched as he threw himself out of the way just in time. He fell back onto the ground, pulling up huge clouds of dust and the car sped on by.

Roxas let out a few nasty coughs as he eyed the car disappearing from view. "Mother fucker," he spat out, while more dirt found its way into his system, sending him into a hacking fit.

He was most surprised when a few moments later, once he had composed himself and started to get off his ass, a truck slid to a stop behind him. Roxas looked up through his wild mop of blonde hair, the careful styling in the morning to make it flat coming undone by the humidity and sweat. Strands of it clung to his face and swept out from his head in a spiral.

Roxas groaned. He would almost have rather waited for another car.

The truck was old. Paint peeling back from exposed hinges, with a huge mural of a wave painted in cheap acrylic cracking its way along the sides. The window rolled down to show a young man with a wilting moe hawk. He leaned over the side of the window.

"Sorry about the guy in front of me. Wouldn't stop even if a puppy was being kicked. So! Where are you headed?" he called.

Roxas just stood there dumbly, mouth glued shut.

"Well? You gonna just stand there or do you need a ride?"

"Mama always told me to never talk to strangers!" Roxas yelled out before blushing. He had not just fucking said that. He scratched the back of his head nervously, just how country could he get? The heat must really be getting to him.

The dirty blonde in the car laughed, and it was a clear, barking sound. "Well, the name's Demyx. How about you?"

"Roxas."

"Well, now we're hardly strangers. You can put your shit in the trunk and when you get to the city call the rental place. This tends to happen a lot, they'll tow it free from charge if you threaten to expose how crap their cars are. You are going to Hollow Bastion right?"

"Yeah."

Demyx wound up his window while Roxas scrambled over to his cheap rental and grabbed his bags from the back. He then locked the doors and pulled open the hinged truck door, having a look inside. It was one of those travelling houses, complete with toilet, bed and microwave. "Nice," he commented while Demyx grinned at him through the rear view mirror.

Roxas shoved his stuff on the bed before climbing into the front with Demyx. The truck started and wobbled back onto the road.

Demyx fiddled with the knobs of the radio station until he came to what he wanted, but Roxas wasn't paying much attention. He watched his rented car until it disappeared from view, obscured by the lazy mirages and blaring sun.

"So, why you going to Hollow Bastion kid?" Demyx asked.

"I'm hardly a kid, I'm 23," Roxas retorted, crossing his arms.

Demyx let out that clear laugh again. "Anyone that hasn't ever been to Hollow Bastion is a kid in my eyes, you're screaming Twilight Town man."

Roxas slumped in the passenger seat.

"Oh don't get all moody on me! The city's really not that bad, hey, you could even like it. But what's the occasion? Moving away from home? Holiday? You not planning on gambling up huge debts are you?"

Roxas shrugged. "Nah, I'm going up for work."

Demyx looked at him curiously. "You do realise that no one ever goes back to Twilight Town after they've been to Hollow Bastion, right?" he joked, half seriously.

"I'll only be gone 2 weeks, my wife's waiting at home for me."

Demyx looked slightly disgruntled by this fact, but it was true, there was a plain unadorned wedding ring on Roxas's left ring finger. "Childhood sweetheart?" he enquired.

"Something like that."

"Aren't you a bit young?"

"We've only been married for four months."

There was a small, awkward silence where Roxas wished that this cheap beaten up vehicle had air conditioning, but it was broken by the cheery tone of what he assumed to be Demyx's phone.

"I've got to take this," Demyx said while Roxas turned to look out the window.

"Yeah man? What's up? ..... Uh huh.... Yeah I got him, it was no problem really... Yeah Xigbar can be a right cow when he wants to be... Haha... Yeah, no probs... One sec..."

Demyx held the phone away from his ear. "Where you staying kid?"

"At the Red Nocturne, that alright?"

"No probs, I'm heading past anyway."

"Thanks-" Roxas started to say, but he was cut off by Demyx returning to his phone conversation.

"Sorry! So yeah as I was saying... All good... So bloody hot though, you NEED to get Axel to do something about that..."

Roxas thought it was weird that a car part could have anything to do with the confining warmth, but didn't comment. He phased out as he stared listlessly at the barren land go by. Dirt, dirt and more dirt. Demyx continued to prattle on the phone, and Roxas was left with only his thoughts for company.

The rest of the ride passed relatively peacefully, with Demyx having a very bizarre and one sided conversation on the phone. It wasn't long before Roxas felt his head lolling against the burning glass window and his eyes slipping shut. His body followed him into a restless sleep. The clunking of the truck lulled him into a stupor.

He was woken by Demyx shaking his shoulder. "We're nearly there," he supplied.

Roxas nodded as he watched the small hotel known as Red Nocturne pull into view. He stifled a small yawn with the back of his hand and Demyx pulled up in front of it.

"Thanks man," Roxas said as he grabbed his bags and left the car.

Demyx leaned out of the window. "No problem, kid."

Roxas bristled. "Well, see you around."

He did a quick double take as he turned away from Demyx, were those two men wearing thick black coats in this humid, fuming weather? Freaks were everywhere these days it seemed.

Demyx distracted Roxas by raping his knuckles against the door of his car. He grinned, his white teeth flashing against lightly tanned skinned. "You can count on it."

Roxas turned back to the where he had seen the two men, but they were gone. He frowned and wondered if he was seeing things. Demyx laughed.

Roxas didn't have the time to turn around and question Demyx before he drove away. Instead he grumbled something rude under his breath about morons with moe hawks, shouldered his bags and dragged himself into the lobby, complete with paint job consisting of beiges and creams. Roxas moaned to himself quietly as he realised where he was staying didn't have any air conditioning, just like the truck, and it was tacky, just like the truck, and it was old and had the heat trapped inside the walls like a kerosene lamp. Roxas dragged a hand against the back of his neck, and wiped the beaded perspiration on his brow with his once pristine suit shirt, which was now sticking to his under arms and transparent across the back.

With little drama Roxas received his room key and dragged his bags upstairs. His room was small and neat, with a large window and a small onsuite and miniature double bed, one that would have its inhabitants touching all night if you tried to sleep two abreast.

The first thing Roxas did was dump his bags to open the window, in the hope of tempting in a very nonexistent breeze. It didn't do anything, and the room was still uncomfortably stuffy. He then proceeded to get undressed, first went the cool blue tie, next the sweat soiled suit shirt along with shoes, belts, pants and boxers. Once he was completely naked he lay on the bed, breathing in the altogether too human scent of the sheets, and decided that they hadn't been washed.

----------

"So, I hear you picked blondie up?" someone questioned Demyx as he hopped out of the truck.

Said trucky glanced over and saw the man hiding in the shadows. He had black hair salted with clear grey streaks pulled back into a low ponytail and cloudless yellow eyes. His tall form was swathed in thick black leather, from the high boots to the hood hanging unused against his back. His face was scarred, and pulled his clammy skin tight against harsh features.

"Yeah, no thanks to you Xigbar."

Xigbar grinned while Demyx stuck up his rude finger in the mockery of a salute. This only made Xigbar laugh and clap him over the shoulder.

"Hey, thought I'd give the kid a chance to get away."

Demyx shot him a look. "Get away? The entire point was to get him _here." _

"Yeah I know. But hey, woulda been a miracle if someone had come by and taken him back to Twilight Town."

"You know no one ever goes back to Twilight Town," Demyx responded scathingly.

Xigbar let out a bark of laughter again. "Hey, can't hurt to give him a fighting chance."

Demyx narrowed his eyes. "It wouldn't be a good idea to start getting a conscious this late in the game Xigbar."

The older man shrugged. "It's not so much a conscious as a self preservation instinct. Serious stuff is going down, and I think some of us are involved."

Demyx let out a low hiss. "Those are fighting words Xigbar."

"I know. But then again, you're always the last one to find out about these things."

Demyx glared. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Xigbar smirked. "Well, your boyfriend seems to be a little over protective. Who _knows _what he's hiding from you?"

"You've got to be kidding me, Zexion wouldn't do that."

Xigbar waved as Demyx got back into his truck. "Remember... Axel can't be trusted, stop playing the game by his rules."

The blonde stuck his head out of the car. "Axel is my _friend,_ Xigbar. He wouldn't betray me."

Xigbar just raised his eyebrows as Demyx walked away.

----------

Roxas was startled out of his sleep by the cheer of his ring tone. He groaned as he rolled over and attempted to ignore it. It stopped before starting up again and Roxas was tempted to throw it off the bed. He groped around under his pillow for the phone and lifted it to his ear.

"Hello, Roxas speaking," he intoned impatiently.

Olette giggled on the other end of the line. "Hey honey, how are you?"

There was something strangely obscene about talking to his wife when he was naked in bed.

Roxas rolled his eyes and caught himself mid motion, this was his wife, he could make the effort. "I'm fine, how are you?"

"I'm fine sweetheart, and why didn't you answer the phone the first time I rang?"

"I just couldn't get to the phone in time Ollete," Roxas said, the sentence coming out a little more forcefully and mean than he wanted it too.

"I'm sorry," she relented, and Roxas sighed. It was almost too easy.

"It's alright. Anyway, what are you calling for?" Roxas asked, resigned.

"Just to see how you're going."

"I'm going fine, Ollete," Roxas winced as he heard how hard his voice sounded.

"Is this a bad time?" his wife asked nervously.

"Nah, I'm just stressed."

"Um... Okay, when will you be home?"

"I've told you this a million times Olette. My boss wants me here for a minimum of two weeks, which may be extended to three if it takes longer than necessary," Roxas grumbled, this time uncaring of if he hurt her feelings.

There was a short uncomfortable silence on the line.

"Look, Olette, I have to go," Roxas said, even though he had nowhere to be until tomorrow.

"... Work hard and come home soon okay?"

"Yeah."

"I love you-"

Roxas had already hung up the phone.

----------

In the end Roxas had called the car company and Demyx had been right. As soon as he started to threaten to sue, they had bent over backwards to do what he wanted. So here he was with a brand new car without a ridiculous paint job, and Roxas decided that in the end, even though he was strange, Demyx had been a good sort. Though it had been odd that Demyx thought he would see him again. Hollow Bastion was a sprawling metropolis; the odds were certainly not in his favour.

So Roxas made his way to his new car, shoved his bags in the back and climbed in. He was happy to realise that his car has a GPS system and that he wouldn't have to get out the atlas to navigate, as he had never had the best sense of direction.

"S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E C-O," Roxas sounded aloud as he typed it into the GPS.

And then he was off. Driving down the convoluted and traffic choked streets of Hollow Bastion.

It took him around 40 minutes to get to his company's main office. Struggle Co had a branch in Twilight Town where Roxas worked, but Hollow Bastion was where their head of operations was. Roxas worked as the marketing director for Twilight Town, and this was the first time he was being called into Hollow Bastion. It was strange, as the branch didn't often contact the head office. Roxas sighed. Everyone seemed pretty paranoid about Hollow Bastion, and everyone seemed to believe that no one came back from it. Roxas sniffed, what a load of shit. Then again, that could be why Ollete called him constantly, maybe she was afraid that he'd never come home.

Roxas parked a few streets down from the main building, taking out his GPS and locking the doors. As soon as he left the car the putrid heat washed over his form. Roxas felt the sweat bead at the back of his neck and his hands get clammy. He swore as he rushed the short walk to the building, he didn't want to be in this city anymore that he possibly had too.

Roxas had nearly made it to the sliding doors when he felt a strange prickling sensation on the back of his neck. Was someone looking at him?

He whirled around, unheeded by the stares from the people walking passed. Roxas couldn't see anyone suspicious.

Maybe the heat was making him paranoid.

He kept walking before he felt it again. Roxas turned slowly, and this time there was something to see.

A man trapped in a thick coat was across the road. His face was covered in a low hanging hood but his physique was clearly defined, tall, broad set and with wide shoulders he leaned against the wall with apparent malcontent.

And Roxas was pretty sure that he was looking right at him.

As soon as Roxas saw him, he was gone. Coat tails flaring and disappearing into the crowd. And even though he had a huge body, he was impossible to pin point and was well on his way to obscurity. Roxas scowled, but couldn't bring himself to be angry. After all, he must have been fucking hot under there.

----------

Roxas came out of the building worse for wear. He was tired, and the air con hadn't been working in the building. Leading to a meeting that was stifling and full of BO with sweat marks adorning everyone's underarms. The people had been dull, too tired to work and too hot to bother. It had been unproductive and boring. And Roxas felt as if he had let the team back at Twilight Town down, because they had been looking to him for inspiration, but he had nothing.

Roxas barely glanced this time as Mr. Black-Coat was back, as he had labelled him in his mind. He just couldn't be bothered to care. So he barely gave him a second thought as he walked back to his car. Exercise be damned he was going to park in the parking lot, it was to warm to deal with this. He sped back and was amazed that he didn't hit anyone.

There was another person in a black coat in the lobby, but this one was tall and thin. He thought he saw a lock of straight blonde hair spilling out from underneath the hood before it was pushed back by a gloved hand. Roxas marched straight up to him, fury boiling in his veins aided by the heat. The figure turned to look at him as Roxas advanced.

He grabbed the taller male by the collar of the coat and jerked him roughly down to his level.

"So what's the joke, huh? What aren't I let in on?!" Roxas seethed.

The black coat remained silent, so Roxas yanked the collar back and forth, snapping the neck from side to side.

"Are you guys following me!?"

His stalker shook, shoulders trembling as he fought to keep in his mirth

Roxas let out a low growl. "You think it's funny do you?! I'm here on a business trip that I have no desire to be on, I'm away from my home in this shit city, you freaks are _everywhere_... AND I'm stuck in this fucking heat!"

This time the stranger chuckled out loud, voice wispy, dissonant and masculine. Despite the temperature Roxas felt a chill run down his spine. When he reached his hands up to his collar and unclenched Roxas's fingers, his own were ice cold from under thick gloves. Roxas shuddered awkwardly, as the older man clenched his fists over Roxas's digits, crushing them. Roxas let out a hiss, and struggled to pull himself away.

"Enjoy the weather."

He let him ago abruptly, letting Roxas stumble and snatch his fingers back from the vicious grip.

"I Look forward to hearing from you soon, Roxas."

----------

"This is so fucked up," Roxas moaned.

Roxas rolled over in bed, and stared at his mobile. "To call or not to call," Roxas whispered.

He debated for a few moments before dialling in the number 813 and holding the phone up to his ear. The ring echoed for four before it was picked by an automated voice.

"Please press 1 for the ambulance, 2 for the fire department, or 3 for the police."

Roxas pressed in 3.

The ring echoed again before the line was answered. "This is Hollow Bastion police, Namine speaking, how may I help you?"

"Uh, yeah, hi, um..." Roxas scratched the back of his head nervously.

"What seems to be the problem sir?" her tired voice came over the line.

"There have been some people... following me."

"And how long have they been following you?"

"...About a day," Roxas admitted, feeling very foolish. It really hadn't been that long, but something was seriously... off about the whole situation.

He could hear Namine get frustrated over the phone, as if she dealt with this to many times. "A day isn't very long, we can take down your name and file a report, but until it becomes detrimental to your health, there are many more pressing cases that require our manpower, this is Hollow Bastion after all. But, if you give me your name now I'll put it on file and into the system, so if the situation gets any worse we'll have you on record and your case will be taken more seriously, okay?"

"Okay," Roxas mumbled.

"Name?"

"Roxas,"

"Address?"

He told her.

"Phone number?"

He recited it out loud.

"And do these people following you have any distinct characteristics?"

"Yeah, they all wear black hooded cloaks."

"Black hooded cloaks?" Namine asked incredulously, obviously wondering if Roxas was a prank caller now. "In the middle of our summer?"

Roxas was about to reply when he heard someone else talking to Namine on her end. "Did someone say black hooded cloaks?"

"Yeah," Namine replied. "Sounds like someone having a bit of fun, what's wrong sir?"

"Give me the phone."

"You sure?"

"Now," was the firm reply.

The phone was passed over.

"Roxas, is it?"

"Yes," Roxas replied cautiously.

"How soon can you get to your neighbourhood station?" the voice was low and hurried.

"Well, I can leave now-"

"See you soon."

Roxas looked at the phone in disgust as he was hung up on.

He figured that the impatient officer could stand to wait half an hour. Roxas climbed into the shower and turned the water on cold, washing away the days sweat, and then took his time washing his hair.

----------

Roxas walked in the door, sweaty again even after his recent shower adventure. He scowled as he realised the station didn't have any air conditioning either.

He walked over to the main desk, where a cute girl with light blonde hair sat, trying to persuade a kid to take a brightly coloured acid green lollipop. She let out a sad smile as the kid opened it and shoved it into its mouth, and Roxas knew without reading her name tag that this bleeding heart was Namine.

"What happened to the kid?" Roxas enquired softly.

She turned huge blue eyes on him. "Her mum's missing. This is Hollow Bastion. Sometimes parents leave and just... never come back."

Roxas looked at the scruffy little girl sitting next to Namine and trawling through her paper work. It really wasn't fair.

"Roxas right?" Namine asked.

He looked up. "Yeah."

"Riku's waiting in the back room. "

Roxas went quietly, sharing a soft, sad smile with Namine before closing the door behind him.

Riku was tall and lean, all muscle and no forgiveness. He looked around 26, but bags under his eyes, pale skin and the strange sheen of his hair made him appear much older. He held himself stiffly, as if afraid to relax, and had flat aquamarine eyes. He looked as if he could have been attractive if he wasn't so weighed down by his own baggage.

"How long have you been in Hollow Bastion Roxas? I realised your address was at a hotel."

"I arrived yesterday."

"And you've been seeing the people in coats since?"

"Yes," Roxas replied, feeling distinctly uncomfortable as Riku's eyes roved his form with intense scrutiny.

"How many so far?"

"2, wait... 4, and I think they were all different."

Riku nodded.

"So do you know what's going on?" Roxas demanded, disgruntled at Riku's silence.

"Basically I called to ask you how bad it was, and..."

"And?" Roxas prompted impatiently.

"To tell you that we won't be helping. Anything that happens, we won't be getting involved."

There was dead silence.

"What?" Roxas breathed out.

Riku shook his head, eyes hidden behind Riku's full fringe. "We can't Roxas, I'm sorry."

"WHAT?!" Roxas demanded. "Is it really that dangerous?!"

Riku nodded gravely. "Yes, it is. Anyone pursued or in trouble with Ogrnisation XIII, we can't help. We can't save everyone in this city."

"So you're not helping me because you're afraid!"

Riku flinched, but murmured. "Exactly. "

Silence again.

"You make me sick," Roxas hissed.

The door slammed shut.

Roxas was dimly aware of Namine calling to him, asking what was wrong. But even it sounded half hearted. The police were obviously over worked, under paid, and cared to much or not enough. She didn't get out of her seat to pursue him as the child helped itself to another candy. She just watched him go.

Roxas's head was reeling, and he felt suffocated. The heat pushed against him, making his body burn and breath come scorching in his chest. He was beginning to hyperventilate, stumbled and grabbed onto the side of his car.

"Shit."

Roxas hauled the car door open and sat inside, turning the air conditioning up to full. His skin spread with goose bumps as he laid his head on the steering wheel. He daren't look up in case he saw the cloaked people again, maybe if he ignored them they'd go away. Roxas's heart thumped wildly in the cage of his ribs, and he dragged a hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down.

He vaguely remembered this feeling from child hood. When he and Hayner burrowed under the covers as the storm raged around them, louder than it was vicious. Holding Hayner's hands tightly as he shook and quaked and squeezed his eyes shut. It was like that, but so much stronger, threatening to pull him under and drown him. The same stickiness, the same fight or flight response.

It was then that Roxas realised he was afraid.

----------

The next day Roxas went to work again. He was almost scared by how nothing else had happened since he went down to the Police station. It was almost as if this Organisation XIII was trying to lure him into a false sense of security. He woke up, had breakfast and drove to work, without incident. But most importantly, without seeing a single person dressed in a thick black coat. Maybe they were just fucking with his head.

"Hey, are you okay?" a soft, female voice asked.

Roxas turned around in his seat. She was a pretty thing, long, thick, braided brown hair and liquid green eyes. She had a pleasant heart shaped face and had more hips than breasts under her loose business suit. All in all, she really reminded Roxas of Ollete, and it made him sick.

"Yeah, I'll be alright," he answered shortly.

"You sure? You seem really distracted."

"I'm fine," came the answer a little more firmly this time.

The young woman sighed.

"Well, I'm Aeris, and if you need anything don't hesitate to ask okay? Struggle Co is a lot bigger here than in Twilight Town so I understand if you feel a bit overwhelmed."

Roxas sure felt overwhelmed all right and it wasn't by his comfortable job, but by this suffocating city and the very real danger of Organisation XIII. He didn't know what they wanted with him, he didn't know how to get away. Didn't know if they meant him harm or had the entirely wrong person. And it was the not knowing that freaked him out the most, settling over his bones and life like mercury.

"Thanks Aeris," Roxas said, trying to get her to go away.

"No problem," she replied, with a smile. "Anyway, meeting's about to get started, I'll see you in there okay?"

Roxas nodded in response and sighed. It was going to be a long day.

And he wasn't disappointed. The meeting dragged on and on and Roxas didn't have anything to say. He was preoccupied, constantly looking out of the office window to see if anyone was watching him, checking if he could catch a glimpse of a long dark cloak. He never saw anything, and thought that maybe it would have been more comforting if he had, because then at least he would know where they were. Whenever he was asked a question Roxas wouldn't have a reply, or it would be so bad and hurried that his boss would send him a disappointed glance and move on to the next person. And the whole while Aeris was smiling at him across the table, encouraging him and supporting him and the whole thing made Roxas's stomach bubble in disgust.

"Don't worry, you'll catch on soon enough," Aeris reassured him as he packed up to leave.

He didn't bother gracing her with a reply as he flew out of the buildings doors and to his car.

It took him a few minutes to get his keys, his hands had started shaking and he couldn't get them to stop. He eventually did, and climbed in before slamming the door after him. Roxas rested his head against the steering wheel for a few moments while he started the car up and got the air conditioning working, letting it blow over his skin in soothing waves.

"Hello Roxas."

Roxas jumped. His head smacked against the roof of the car and his body pressed itself as far into the door as possible. His eyes scrambled wildly while he nursed his neck and tried to fight off the dizziness that had fogged his mind and slowed his reflexes.

The voice only laughed, slowly coming into focus. Hood drawn and cloak fanning out over the back seat.

_Shit_, Roxas thought to himself. _Shit, shit, shit._

"What do you want with me?" Roxas asked, his voice shaking.

"That's a good question, Roxas," they purred.

The sound of the voice sent Roxas's mind into overdrive. He hadn't been able to hear it the first time, he'd been so totally overcome in his terror, but now he could. And this voice was high pitched, slightly melodic, and definitely female. He cast his eyes over the figure's form, and he noticed the slight curves in all the right places. And for some reason, this one, this girl, scared him more than all of the others.

Roxas didn't answer, glued to the spot, heart beating furiously against the cage of his chest.

The girl sighed in amusement. "Well, I'm here to offer you a job."

A brief, stilted silence hung in the air.

Roxas didn't know what to say, so the stranger shifted and leaned over towards him, causing him to flinch. She let out a high, cruel giggle, and it reverberated through Roxas's head.

"But if you ask me, you're a waste of time. I mean, look at you!" she shrieked.

The intruder raised a hand slowly to Roxas's face. "So helpless, like a little butterfly with its wings pinned against a dash board, struggling and struggling-"

"Don't touch me!" Roxas hissed, finding his voice.

The hand pressed on "Oh? The butterfly has teeth?" she teased.

Roxas slapped it away and shoved the girl back.

"GET OUT!" he roared.

The girl laughed again, full of scorn and spite. "Now that's no way to treat a lady you-"

"GET OUT!" Roxas screamed, interrupting her again.

He got the impression she sent him a long, evaluating look. "Okay, won't do you much good in the long run though. You'll take the job, you always do."

Roxas just stared as her as she flipped the door open slowly and left the car. She didn't waste any time saying goodbye, just slammed the door and was gone, looking for all the world as if she had just disappeared, as all the people in black coats had.

Roxas sat there for five minutes with his head against the wheel after she left, a strange, hollow feeling settling in his gut.

He was feeling strangely reckless, a way he hadn't felt in years. Roxas could taste the emotion as it slowly grew, thick and enticing in his fingertips. How easy it would be to slip back into those ways, after all, anything was better than the deep seated, belly aching fear which had gripped him all day. He scrunched his eyes up and let it engulf him, feeling it filling him completely until he felt ready to overflow.

It was only then that he turned the keys and drove back to his room. He needed to get changed.

-----

Roxas stepped out of the hotel and into the night.

He hadn't done this in years. Had promised Olette that he never would. Not again. Not after all the things that had happened last time. It had been like he was caught in an avalanche, spiralling out of control until Olette could firmly grasp his hand, pull him to safety, and put the pieces back together as she saw fit. Until he was lured into a false sense of security, given everything he thought he had wanted, until he realised that it was _wrong wrong wrong_ and that everything she had made him be wasn't really _Roxas _anymore.

So here he was, about to do it again. Get feverish and high and utterly fucked up.

His hair was how it used to be. No longer tamed the way being in corporate demanded, neat waves unmoving and greased back over a small forehead. It was wild, falling into its natural spiral of gold and blonde, bright blue eyes peering out from a side swept fringe. He didn't want to know how people saw his eyes tonight, because Roxas felt reckless and dangerous and completely out of control.

Legs encased in smooth leather, boots to kill and a shirt with more rips than was decent. He felt like he looked like a dolled up prostitute with pale lips and taut muscles ready to be bitten into and savoured. In reality, he looked tired and rebellious and sooty and jaded.

This is exactly what Olette had been trying to purge from him. And this was exactly the way Roxas wanted to be when he felt out of control. So when she tried to ring him as he was leaving he opened and shut the phone, cancelling the call and sending her to voice mail. She tried again and again, before Roxas got the shits and left the room, with the phone on the bed singing happily away as it called for him.

It didn't take Roxas long to get where he needed to go. He looked the part, and the people he always needed to ask the right questions were always there when he needed them, regardless of if he was in Hollow Bastion or Twilight Town.

He ended up in an abandoned warehouse that looked like it had belonged to squatters once upon a time. But now it was like he was, dolled up, but still dirty and ruined and ugly underneath.

The first thing Roxas did was grab a vodka out of someone's hand, they looked ready to protest, but he silenced them with a glare, downed it, and then passed their glass back. He only smirked as he heard the muttered "asshole" follow him further into the crowd.

The lighting was scarce, emphasizing legs and lips and the curves of people's bodies, while the music was strong, fierce, twisting and alive. Roxas felt his soul soar as he downed another vodka, uncertain of where this one had come from. The elated, light feeling entered his head as he consumed drink after drink after drink, until he was dizzy on the high and dancing as if he'd never danced before.

He had another as a skinny girl pushed it into his hands and smiled up at him through clunky mascara lashes. He drank it thankfully, tottering on his feet as she plastered her mouth to his neck. But he wasn't interested, pushed her away. Didn't like the look of her skin pulled over her ribs, wanted soft curves and a gentle voice. Didn't want lines and angles and hardness.

She snorted and whined as he left her and re joined the crush of bodies. It was so easy to play the role. The teasing, fleeting, look but don't touch.

And that's when he saw it. It could have been the alcohol talking, but that person had the most fantastic ass Roxas had ever seen. Long, long legs, a tiny waist and a perfect, heart shaped _ass. _In a haze Roxas stumbled over to where the person that belonged to the ass, as opposed to the ass that belonged to the person, because that ass was undoubtedly more interesting than that person. When Roxas reached them he realised how terribly tall they were. And they still weren't facing him, giving him a view of a long, bare back that was ghostly pale underneath the lights. Small bumps stuck out from under the waxy skin, and their shoulder blades stood out in sharp relief. Tight jeans hugged their backside so succulently that Roxas wanted to sink his teeth into it and leave marks.

Roxas reached out, one hand sliding against his obsession and gave a firm squeeze, relishing in the feeling of the muscle tightening underneath his fingers. In a smooth movement the dancer turned around, taking their behind out of Roxas's grasp and locking their eyes with him.

Blue met acid green, the same colour as the lollipop Namine had had earlier that day. Roxas didn't know they made eyes that colour.

Shadows played over the strangers face and highlighted high cheekbones and a harsh jaw line. Two small marks made in make-up (or where they tattoos?) were under heavily out lined eyes that peered out from beneath sooty lashes. Roxas couldn't really tell what colour their hair was, as the neon lighting helped to hide it, making it looked washed out and dark brown. Roxas looked down the line of the person's body. His eyes widened briefly as he realised that this wasn't a girl, but most definitely a guy. A guy that was grabbing his hand and pulling it around to his bum and encouraging Roxas to grind against a lithe thigh.

Roxas groaned, and followed the movements of the dancer, their chests coming into contact as Roxas continued to squeeze that fabulous ass. It wasn't registering in his mind anymore that he was dancing with a boy, his head was fuzzy and those eyes were consuming him. The taller man laughed at Roxas, and brought their hips together almost roughly, forcing Roxas further along his leg and twining their bodies together. Roxas's other hand joined the first, grabbing another cheek. He sunk his fingers in, grasping more than groping and doing it hard enough to be uncomfortable.

The brunette leant down, lips closing in on Roxas's, and he didn't have the time to resist or vehemently cry _I'm not gay here! _before his mouth was nudging against Roxas's own. And it wasn't a peck or just a brush of lips.

The man grabbed Roxas's chin to hold his face in place, and pried open his pale lips and bit into them, savouring them, before pushing his tongue inside Roxas's mouth as if it was always meant to be there. Roxas flinched and started to struggle before the foreign tongue ran itself along the roof of Roxas's mouth and he positively shuddered at the odd feeling. It was like choking, being kissed hard enough to leave bruises, the stranger's mouth punishing Roxas in its intensity. It was nothing like kissing Olette, who had always taken the back seat and let Roxas do whatever he wanted. Now Roxas felt powerless with someone else's arms wrapped around him, directing the rhythm and pace of their dance.

Roxas couldn't breathe, but the stranger wasn't pulling back. He kept rolling their hips together in agonizing slowness and devouring Roxas with his lips. The lack of oxygen and the effects of alcohol were making Roxas feel completely out of control, he was trying to breathe through his nose but he wasn't getting enough air in, and those green eyes were still staring at him, and his hands were still cupped around that amazing ass and then the owner of that talented tongue was pulling away, letting Roxas gulp down air before returning their lips together with a wet smack.

But it was different this time. The tongue was once again thrust into him, but there was something on it. Something small and cold in their hot connected mouths and before he knew it the man was forcing it deeper and deeper down Roxas's throat. He felt himself gag briefly before being forced to swallow.

It took a moment for Roxas to realise what had happened.

He's just swallowed a pill.

Had the stranger just... _Drugged_ him?

_Shit._

Before Roxas could comprehend it everything went fuzzy. All the inner walls that he'd carefully constructed, all his inhibitions, everything fell down around his feet like a second skin. Leaving him feeling raw and euphoric and easily manipulated. His body was moved and positioned by the taller man, answers easily falling out of his lips when prompted.

Roxas was leaving the club, propelled by the other, and when he hailed a cab and pulled the blond inside Roxas easily recited the hotel's address, not realising anything wrong with it. The driver sent them incredulous looks, and Roxas realised that here, with the city lights basking the man's face, that his hair wasn't a dirty brown, but a brilliant, fire red. His eyes were even sharper, colour looking out of place when surrounded by smudged eye liner and skin the colour of milk.

Then Roxas was being dragged out of the cab, the stranger pulling the hotel keys out of Roxas's ridiculously tight pants and opening the door before shutting it again.

Everything was hazy in Roxas's mind as he was thrown against the closed door, his lips once again met the taller man's which leant down to taste him. His mouth was once again forced open, and their tongues glided together easily. The sensations from kissing alone were too much from Roxas. The drug in his system was making everything more desperate and intense. He struggled against the onslaught of his senses, grinding up against his partner in obvious need for release.

He positively _ached _with need. His body was growing so heated inside, and every brush and flick of the other man's appendage in his mouth sent vibrations and blood straight to Roxas's groin. He reached out nervous hands, one found purchase thick crimson hair, while the other encircled a thin waist and pulled their bodies together sharply.

When air was needed the kiss was broken off and cruel lips smiled down at the blond. The man chuckled and fastened a mouth onto Roxas's neck, exploring it and biting into the wonderfully taut skin. Roxas gasped as a particularly sensitive spot was found, the others tongue laving against it and sucking it until it turned cherry red. Roxas nearly shrieked when a scorching hand found its way under his flimsy shirt, tracing the contours of lithe muscles and forcing its way up until it was encircling a nipple.

A rush of warmth spread down Roxas's skin, he'd never known nipples were that sensitive! The foreign hand was rolling it, pinching it, unbearably hot against his skin, and Roxas felt like he was being burnt alive.

He groaned wantonly as his shirt was flicked over his head and he stood half naked. He would do anything to extinguish this fire which was burning through every vein in his body.

"Do you want me?" the stranger asked into Roxas's ear.

Roxas nearly moaned when he heard the voice. It was lilting, with a strange way of drawing out the vowels, as if every comment was meant to be sarcastic. But it was strong and pure and felt like honey washing over Roxas's skin. He shuddered at the sensation of warm air against his neck and couldn't concentrate enough to answer.

The hand kept fondling his nipple, and while it was growing sore, it still felt unbelievably good.

"Let me try that again... Do you want to be inside me?"

Roxas's mind blanked out at that statement, and his body positively thrummed with desperation and arousal. Unabashed the words fell out of his lips in a rush.

"_Oh gods yes."_

The stranger smiled that mocking smile again. "Good."

He pulled back, leaving Roxas reeling as he prowled over to the small bed, lying down on it and spreading his still clothed legs invitingly.

Roxas nearly stumbled in his haste to join the other. The red head let out a throaty laugh and drew Roxas on top of him, slamming their lips together again. One of his elegant, long fingered hands began to unclasp the top of Roxas's pants. He only let out a long pleasured breath in response, too far gone to care about modesty or embarrassment. His other hand joined the first, slowly peeling Roxas's pants off his clenched thighs and calves until Roxas pulled them over his feet and threw them away. He wasn't wearing any underwear underneath.

Then Roxas's hands were exploring the burning skin of the red head and slowly removing the piece of material that covered his chest but not his back. Roxas pawed desperately at the man's pants, unable to get them off from his position on the bed. The stranger decided to help, hooking digits through his belt loops and taking them off in a smooth movement, before doing the same with his briefs.

Skin met skin and Roxas couldn't stop himself from desperately rutting against a smooth, firm thigh.

Lips and naked hips met at the same time, grinding into each other and making Roxas gasp with sensation. Everything was cloudy, but as the red head squirmed under him _just so_, Roxas wasn't inclined to care. It felt so _good, _and with the drugs and alcohol roaring through his veins topped with an unhealthy dose of adrenaline he wasn't about to stop, couldn't even think of a reason that he _should _stop.

After some more making out the stranger pushed Roxas off. Roxas hissed in confusion and disbelief before he realised what was going on. The man had reached down with a glistening finger to his entrance and begun to prepare himself. His back bowed as he slid a finger inside, easing it in and pulling it out, agonisingly slow, before adding another. He fisted the blankets tightly, beginning to start up a rhythm while Roxas watched, entranced. _Well shit, if that wasn't the hottest thing he had ever seen..._

Then he was pulling the fingers out, wiping soiled hands on the unused comforter and ushering Roxas back over to him. He ripped a condom open and passed it to Roxas, watching in amusement as he fumbled put it on with shaking hands. The redhead took mercy and leaned over and helped him roll it onto his length, then coated his hand in lube and spread it evenly over the blond's erection.

Roxas had enough sense to wonder why he felt like he was forgetting something important, but the stranger pulled him down and forced Roxas inside him, letting out a long hiss, and the thought was banished from the blond's mind.

----------

It sure has been a long time since I've written fanfic.

I'm totally rusty. I hope you guys enjoyed this anyway. This is the start of a 6 part story, if all goes according to plan. I'd really rather not make this a multi chap if I can avoid it!

This is really just the set up of events, hence it's a pretty boring chapter, but a lot of things needed to be placed in now to be used later. Even so, I hope you enjoyed the part at the end! Not much smut this chapter, but that wasn't really the goal of this story, it's just a plus side. However, there will be much more smut in the next chapter. 3

Updates will be infrequent, sorry! But because it's a 6 parter it shouldn't be as bad, and each part after this will be lot longer in length as well.

Anyway hope you enjoyed! I'm trying some new things in this story and would love some feedback. Very interested in how you think the characters are portrayed.

Also unbeta'ed. If anyone's up for the job please let me know. 3


End file.
